Miller is noted for combiningfilm noir andmanga influences in his comic art creations. He said: "I realized when I startedSin City that I found American and English comics to be too wordy, too constipated, and Japanese comics to be too empty. So I was attempting to do a hybrid."[3] Miller has received every major comic book industry award, and in 2015 he was inducted into theWill Eisner Award Hall of Fame.
Miller grew up a comics fan; a letter he wrote toMarvel Comics was published inThe Cat #3 (April 1973).[8] His first published work was atWestern Publishing'sGold Key Comicsimprint, received at the recommendation of comics artistNeal Adams, to whom a fledgling Miller, after moving to New York City, had shown samples and received much critique and occasional informal lessons.[9] Though no published credits appear, he is tentatively credited with the three-page story "Royal Feast" in the licensed TV series comic bookThe Twilight Zone #84 (June 1978), by an unknown writer,[10] and is credited with the five-page "Endless Cloud", also by an unknown writer, in the following issue (July 1978).[11] By the time of the latter, Miller had his first confirmed credit in writer Wyatt Gwyon's six-page "Deliver Me From D-Day", inked by Danny Bulanadi, inWeird War Tales #64 (June 1978).[12]
Former Marvel editor-in-chiefJim Shooter recalled Miller going toDC Comics after having broken in with "a small job fromWestern Publishing, I think. Thus emboldened, he went to DC, and after getting savaged byJoe Orlando, got in to see art directorVinnie Colletta, who recognized talent and arranged for him to get a one-page war-comic job."[13] TheGrand Comics Database does not list this job; there may have been a one-page DC story, or Shooter may have misremembered the page count or have been referring to the two-page story, by writerRoger McKenzie, as "Slowly, painfully, you dig your way from the cold, choking debris" inWeird War Tales #68 (October 1978).[14] Other fledgling work at DC included the six-page "The Greatest Story Never Told", by writerPaul Kupperberg, in that same issue, and the five-page "The Edge of History", written byElliot S. Maggin, inUnknown Soldier #219 (September 1978). His first work for Marvel Comics was penciling the 17-page story "The Master Assassin of Mars, Part 3" inJohn Carter, Warlord of Mars #18 (November 1978).[15]
At Marvel, Miller settled in as a regular fill-in and cover artist, working on a variety of titles. One of these jobs was drawingPeter Parker,The Spectacular Spider-Man #27–28 (February–March 1979), which guest-starredDaredevil.[16] At the time, sales of theDaredevil title were poor but Miller saw potential in "a blind protagonist in a purely visual medium", as he recalled in 2000. Miller went to writer and stafferJo Duffy (a mentor-figure whom he called his "guardian angel" at Marvel) and she passed on his interest to editor-in-chiefJim Shooter to get Miller work on Daredevil's regular title. Shooter agreed and made Miller the new penciller on the title. As Miller recalled in 2008:
When I first showed up in New York, I showed up with a bunch of comics, a bunch of samples, of guys in trench coats and old cars and such. And [comics editors] said, 'Where are the guys in tights?' And I had to learn how to do it. But as soon as a title came along, when [Daredevil signature artist]Gene Colan leftDaredevil, I realized it was my secret in to do crime comics with a superhero in them. And so I lobbied for the title and got it.[6]
Daredevil #158 (May 1979), Miller's debut on that title, was the finale of an ongoing story written byRoger McKenzie andinked byKlaus Janson. After this issue, Miller became one of Marvel's rising stars.[17] However, sales onDaredevil did not improve, Marvel's management continued to discuss cancellation, and Miller himself almost quit the series, as he disliked McKenzie's scripts.[13] Miller's fortunes changed with the arrival ofDenny O'Neil as editor. Realizing Miller's unhappiness with the series, and impressed by a backup story Miller had written, O'Neil moved McKenzie to another project so that Miller could try writing the series himself.[13][18] Miller and O'Neil maintained a friendly working relationship throughout his run on the series.[19] With issue #168 (Jan. 1981), Miller took over full duties as writer and penciller. Sales rose so swiftly that Marvel once again began publishingDaredevil monthly rather than bimonthly just three issues after Miller became its writer.[20]
Issue #168 saw the first full appearance of theninjamercenaryElektra—who became a popular character and star in a 2005 motion picture—although her first cover appearance was four months earlier on Miller's cover ofThe Comics Journal #58.[21] Miller later wrote and drew a solo Elektra story inBizarre Adventures #28 (Oct. 1981). He added amartial arts aspect to Daredevil's fighting skills,[19] and introduced previously unseen characters who had played a major part in the character's youth:Stick, leader of the ninja clan theChaste, who had been Murdock'ssensei after he was blinded[22] and a rival clan called theHand.[23]
Unable to handle both writing and pencilingDaredevil on the new monthly schedule, Miller began increasingly relying on Janson for the artwork, sending him looser and looser pencils beginning with #173.[24] By issue #185, Miller had virtually relinquished his role as Daredevil's artist, and he was providing only rough layouts for Janson to both pencil and ink, allowing Miller to focus on the writing.[24]
Miller's work on Daredevil was characterized by darker themes and stories. This peaked when in #181 (April 1982) he had theassassinBullseye kill Elektra,[25] and Daredevil subsequently attempt to kill him. Miller finished hisDaredevil run with issue #191 (February 1983), which he cited in a winter 1983 interview as the issue he is most proud of;[19] by this time, he had transformed a second-tier character into one of Marvel's most popular. Additionally, Miller drew a shortBatman Christmas story, "Wanted: Santa Claus – Dead or Alive", written byDennis O'Neil forDC Special Series #21 (Spring 1980).[26] This was his first professional experience with a character with which, like Daredevil, he became closely associated. At Marvel, O'Neil and Miller collaborated on two issues ofThe Amazing Spider-Man Annual. The 1980 Annual featured a team-up withDoctor Strange[27] while the 1981 Annual showcased a meeting with thePunisher.[28]
As penciller and co-plotter, Miller, together with writerChris Claremont, produced theminiseriesWolverine #1–4 (Sept.-Dec. 1982),[29] inked byJosef Rubinstein and spinning off from the popularX-Men title. Miller used this miniseries to expand on Wolverine's character.[30] The series was a critical success and further cemented Miller's place as an industry star. His firstcreator-owned title was DC Comics' six-issue miniseriesRonin (1983–1984).[31] In 1985, DC Comics named Miller as one of the honorees in the company's 50th-anniversary publicationFifty Who Made DC Great.[32]
Miller was involved in a fewunpublished projects in the early 1980s. A house advertisement forDoctor Strange appeared in Marvel Comics cover-dated February 1981. It stated "Watch for the new adventures of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme—as mystically conjured byRoger Stern and Frank Miller!". Miller's only contribution to the series was the cover forDoctor Strange #46 (April 1981). Other commitments prevented him from working on the series.[33] Miller andSteve Gerber made a proposal to revamp DC's three biggest characters:Superman, Batman, andWonder Woman, under a line called "Metropolis" and comics titled "Man of Steel" or "The Man of Steel", "Dark Knight" and "Amazon".[34] However, this proposal was not accepted.[citation needed]
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the late 1980s
In 1986, DC Comics released the writer–penciller Miller'sBatman: The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issueminiseries printed in what the publisher called "prestige format"—squarebound, rather than stapled; on heavy-stock paper rather than newsprint, and with cardstock rather than glossy-paper covers. It wasinked byKlaus Janson andcolored byLynn Varley.[35] The story tells howBatman retired after the death of the secondRobin (Jason Todd) and, at age 55, returns to fight crime in a dark and violent future. Miller created a tough, gritty Batman, referring to him as "The Dark Knight" based upon his being called the "Darknight Detective" in some 1970s portrayals,[36] although thenickname "Dark Knight" for Batman dates back to 1940.[37][38] Released the same year asAlan Moore's andDave Gibbons' DC miniseriesWatchmen, it showcased a new form of more adult-oriented storytelling to both comics fans and a crossover mainstream audience.The Dark Knight Returns influenced the comic-book industry by heralding a new wave of darker characters.[39] Thetrade paperback collection proved to be a big seller for DC and remains in print.[40]
By this time, Miller had returned as the writer ofDaredevil. Following his self-contained story "Badlands", penciled byJohn Buscema, in #219 (June 1985), he co-wrote #226 (Jan. 1986) with departing writerDennis O'Neil. Then, with artistDavid Mazzucchelli, he crafted a seven-issue story arc that, likeThe Dark Knight Returns, similarly redefined and reinvigorated its main character. The storyline, "Daredevil: Born Again", in #227–233 (February–August 1986)[41] chronicled the hero's Catholic background and the destruction and rebirth of his real-life identity,Manhattan attorney Matt Murdock, at the hands of Daredevil's nemesis, the crime lord Wilson Fisk, also known as theKingpin. After completing the "Born Again" arc, Frank Miller intended to produce a two-part story with artistWalt Simonson but it was never completed and remains unpublished.[42]
Miller and artistBill Sienkiewicz produced thegraphic novelDaredevil: Love and War in 1986. Featuring the character of the Kingpin, it indirectly bridges Miller's first run onDaredevil andBorn Again by explaining the change in the Kingpin's attitude toward Daredevil. Miller and Sienkiewicz also produced the eight-issue miniseriesElektra: Assassin forEpic Comics.[43] Set outside regular Marvel continuity, it featured a wild tale ofcyborgs andninjas, while expanding further on Elektra's background. Both of these projects were critically well received.Elektra: Assassin was praised for its bold storytelling, but neither it norDaredevil: Love and War had the influence or reached as many readers asDark Knight Returns orBorn Again.[citation needed]
Miller's final major story in this period was inBatman issues 404–407 in 1987, another collaboration with Mazzucchelli. TitledBatman: Year One, this was Miller's version of the origin of Batman in which heretconned many details and adapted the story to fit hisDark Knightcontinuity. Proving to be hugely popular,[44] this was as influential as Miller's previous work.[45] A trade paperback released in 1988 remains in print, and is one of DC's best selling books. The story was adapted as anoriginal animated film video in 2011.[46]
Miller illustrated the covers for the first twelve issues ofFirst Comics' English-language reprints ofKazuo Koike andGoseki Kojima'sLone Wolf and Cub. This helped bring Japanese manga to a wider Western audience.[citation needed] During this time, Miller (along withMarv Wolfman,Alan Moore, andHoward Chaykin) had been in dispute with DC Comics over a proposed ratings system for comics. Disagreeing with what he saw as censorship, Miller refused to do any further work for DC,[47] and he took his future projects to the independent publisherDark Horse Comics. From then on Miller was a major supporter of creator rights and became a major voice against censorship in comics.[48]
After announcing he intended to release his work only via the independent publisherDark Horse Comics, Miller completed one final project forEpic Comics, the mature-audience imprint of Marvel Comics.Elektra Lives Again was a fully paintedgraphic novel written and drawn by Miller and colored by longtime partnerLynn Varley.[49] Telling the story of theresurrection of Elektra from the dead and Daredevil's quest to find her, as well as showing Miller's will to experiment with new story-telling techniques.[50]
1990 saw Miller and artistGeof Darrow start work onHard Boiled, a three-issue miniseries. The title, a mix of violence and satire, was praised for Darrow's highly detailed art and Miller's writing.[51] At the same time, Miller and artistDave Gibbons producedGive Me Liberty, a four-issue miniseries for Dark Horse.Give Me Liberty was followed by sequel miniseries and specials expanding on the story of protagonistMartha Washington, an African-American woman in modern and near-future North America, all of which were written by Miller and drawn by Gibbons.[52]
Miller wrote the scripts for the science fiction filmsRoboCop 2 andRoboCop 3, about a policecyborg. Neither was critically well received.[53][54] In 2007, Miller stated that "There was a lot of interference in the writing process. It wasn't ideal. After working on the two Robocop movies, I really thought that was it for me in the business of film."[55] Miller came into contact with the fictional cyborg once more, writing the comic-book miniseriesRoboCop Versus The Terminator, with art byWalter Simonson. In 2003, Miller's screenplay forRoboCop 2 was adapted bySteven Grant forAvatar Press's Pulsaar imprint. Illustrated byJuan Jose Ryp, the series is calledFrank Miller's RoboCop and contains plot elements that were divided betweenRoboCop 2 andRoboCop 3.[56]
In 1991, Miller started work on his firstSin City story. Serialized inDark Horse Presents #51–62, it proved to be another success, and the story was released in atrade paperback. This first Sin City "yarn" was rereleased in 1995 under the nameThe Hard Goodbye.Sin City proved to be Miller's main project for much of the remainder of the decade, as Miller toldmore Sin City stories within this noir world of his creation, in the process helping to revitalize thecrime comics genre.[57]Sin City proved artistically auspicious for Miller and again brought his work to a wider audience without comics. Miller lived inLos Angeles, California in the 1990s, which influencedSin City. He later lived in theHell's Kitchen neighborhood ofNew York City, which was also an influence.[58]
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear was a five issue miniseries published by Marvel Comics in 1993. In this story, Miller and artistJohn Romita Jr. told Daredevil's origins differently from in the previous comics, and they provided additional detail to his beginnings.[59] Miller also returned to superheroes by writing issue #11 ofTodd McFarlane'sSpawn, as well as theSpawn/Batman crossover forImage Comics.[60]
In 1994, Miller became one of the founding members of the comic imprint Legend, under which many of his Sin City works were released viaDark Horse Comics.[61] In 1995, Miller and Darrow collaborated again onBig Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, published as a two-part miniseries by Dark Horse.[62] In 1999, it became ananimated series onFox Kids.[63]
Written and illustrated by Miller with painted colors by Varley,300 was a 1998 comic-bookminiseries, released as a hardcover collection in 1999, retelling theBattle of Thermopylae and the events leading up to it from the perspective ofLeonidas of Sparta.300 was particularly inspired by the 1962 filmThe 300 Spartans, a movie that Miller watched as a young boy.[64]
He was one of the artists on theSuperman and Batman: World's Funnest one-shot written byEvan Dorkin published in 2000.[65] Miller moved back to Hell's Kitchen by 2001 and was creatingBatman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again as the9/11 terrorist attacks occurred about four miles from that neighborhood.[66] His differences withDC Comics put aside, he saw the sequel initially released as a three-issue miniseries,[67] and though it sold well,[68] it received a mixed to negative reception.[69][70] Miller also returned to writing Batman in 2005, taking on the writing duties ofAll Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder, a series set inside of what Miller describes as the "Dark Knight Universe,"[71] and drawn byJim Lee.[72]All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder also received largely negative reviews.[73]
Miller's previous attitude towards movie adaptations was to change afterRobert Rodriguez made a short film based on a story from Miller'sSin City entitled "The Customer is Always Right". Miller was pleased with the result, leading to him and Rodriguez directing a full-length film,Sin City using Miller's original comics panels asstoryboards. The film was released in the U.S. on April 1, 2005.[74] The film's success brought renewed attention to Miller'sSin City projects. Similarly, a 2006 film adaptation of300, directed byZack Snyder, brought new attention to Miller's original comic book work.[75] A sequel to the film,Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, based on Miller's secondSin City series and co-directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez, was released in theaters on August 22, 2014.[76]
In July 2011, while atSan Diego Comic-Con promoting his upcoming graphic novelHoly Terror, in which the protagonist hero fightsAl-Qaeda terrorists, Miller made a remark aboutIslamic terrorism andIslam, saying, "I was raisedCatholic and I could tell you a lot about theSpanish Inquisition, but the mysteries of the Catholic Church elude me. And I could tell you a lot about Al-Qaeda, but the mysteries of Islam elude me too."[77]
In November 2011, Miller posted remarks pertaining to theOccupy Wall Street movement on his blog, calling it "nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, fed byWoodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness." He said of the movement, "Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy. Maybe, between bouts of self-pity and all the other tasty tidbits of narcissism you've been served up in your sheltered, comfy little worlds, you've heard terms like al-Qaeda andIslamicism."[78][79][80] Miller's statement was criticised by fellow comic writerAlan Moore.[81] In a 2018 interview, Miller backed away from his comments saying that he "wasn't thinking clearly" when he made them and alluded to a very dark time in his life during which they were made.[82]
On July 10, 2015, at San Diego Comic-Con, Miller was inducted into theEisner Awards Hall of Fame.[83] From 2015 to 2017, DC released a nine-issue, bimonthly sequel toThe Dark Knight Returns andThe Dark Knight Strikes Again, titledThe Dark Knight III: The Master Race. Miller co-wrote it withBrian Azzarello,[84] andAndy Kubert andKlaus Janson were the artists.[85] Issue one was the top-selling comic of November 2015, moving an estimated 440,234 copies.[86] In 2016, Miller and Azzarello also co-wrote the graphic novel,The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade with art by John Romita Jr. and Peter Steigerwald.[87] From April to August 2018, Dark Horse Comics published monthly Miller's five-issue miniseries sequel to300,Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander,[88] which marked his first work as both writer and artist comics creation sinceHoly Terror.[89]
In 2017 Miller announced he was writing aSuperman: Year One project with artwork by John Romita Jr.[90][91] The three-issue series was released byDC Black Label from June to October 2019 and received mixed reviews.[92][93] Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing published his and authorTom Wheeler'syoung-adult novelCursed, about the King Arthur legend from the point of view of theLady of the Lake in October 2019.[94] In December 2019, DC releasedDark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, the fifth series inThe Dark Knight Returns universe to mixed reviews.[95] It is written by Miller with artwork by Rafael Grampa.[96]
On April 28, 2022, it was reported that Miller was launching anAmerican comic book publishing company titledFrank Miller Presents (FMP). Miller will act as the company's president and editor-in-chief, working alongsideDan DiDio as publisher andchief operating officer Silenn Thomas. FMP expects to produce between two and four titles per year, with Miller's initial contributions to includeSin City 1858 andRonin Book Two.[98] As of November 2023, FMP was focusing its efforts on theRonin sequel andPandora, a fantasy adventure series produced together withThe Kubert School that Miller described as "look[ing] like a children's book, but it's also a dark fairytale".[99]
The documentary filmFrank Miller: American Genius premiered on June 6, 2024, at the Angelika Film Center in New York City. The event featured a live introduction with Miller, moderated by author Neil Gaiman. On June 10, the film screened in Cinemark theaters across the U.S for one day only.[100]
In October 2012, Joanna Gallardo-Mills, who began working for Miller as an executive coordinator in November 2008, filed suit against Miller in Manhattan for discrimination and "mental anguish", stating that Miller's former girlfriend, Kimberly Cox, created a hostile work environment for Gallardo-Mills in Miller and Cox'sHell's Kitchen living and work space.[101]
In July 2020, producer Stephen L'Heureux, who worked onSin City: A Dame to Kill For, filed a $25 million defamation and economic interference lawsuit against Miller and fellow producer Silenn Thomas. L'Heureux alleged the pair had repeatedly made, "false, misleading and defamatory statements" about L'Heureux's ownership of the developmental rights ofSin City andHard Boiled toSkydance Media CEODavid Ellison and other Skydance executives and prevented the creation of a film adaptation ofHard Boiled and a TV series based onSin City. Miller's attorney Allen Grodsky denied the allegation stating, "The claims asserted in Mr. L'Heureux's lawsuit are baseless, and we will be aggressively defending this lawsuit."[102]
Miller was married to coloristLynn Varley from 1986 to 2005.[103][104] She colored many of his most acclaimed works (fromRonin in 1984 through300 in 1998) and the backgrounds to the 2006 movie300. Miller has been romantically linked to Kimberly Halliburton Cox,[105] who had a cameo inThe Spirit (2008).[106]
In response to claims that his comics areconservative, Miller said, "I'm not a conservative. I'm alibertarian."[107]
Miller is a recovering alcoholic and states that he used alcohol heavily in his early career to free him from inhibitions and increase his creative output.[108]
Marv walking through the rain inThe Hard Goodbye cover by Frank Miller, illustrating Miller'sfilm noir-influenced visual style
Although still conforming to traditional comic book styles, Miller infused his first issue ofDaredevil with his ownfilm noir style.[47] Miller sketched the roofs of New York in an attempt to give hisDaredevil art an authentic feel not commonly seen in superhero comics at the time. One journalist commented:
Daredevil's New York, under Frank's run, became darker and more dangerous than the Spider-Man New York he'd seemingly lived in before. New York City itself, particularly Daredevil'sHell's Kitchen neighborhood, became as much a character as the shadowy crimefighter; the stories often took place on the rooftop level, with water towers, pipes and chimneys jutting out to create a skyline reminiscent ofGerman Expressionism's dramatic edges and shadows.[110]
Ronin shows some of the strongest influences ofmanga andbande dessinée on Miller's style, both in the artwork and narrative style.[111]Sin City was drawn in black and white to emphasize itsfilm noir origins. Miller has said he opposesnaturalism in comic art: "People are attempting to bring a superficial reality to superheroes which is rather stupid. They work best as the flamboyant fantasies they are. I mean, these are characters that are broad and big. I don't need to see sweat patches underSuperman's arms. I want to see him fly."[112]
Miller considers theArgentinian comic book artistAlberto Breccia as one of his personal mentors,[113] even declaring that (regarding modernity in comics), "It all started with Breccia".[114] In that same regard, Miller's work inSin City has been analyzed bySouth American writers and artists –as well as European critics likeYexus[115]– as being based or inspired in Breccia's groundbreaking style,[116][117] especially regarding the latter'schiaroscuros and strong use of stark black-and-white technique.[118]
Daredevil: Born Again andThe Dark Knight Returns were both critical successes and influential on subsequent generations of creators to the point of being considered classics of the medium.Batman: Year One was also met with praise for its gritty style, while comics includingRonin,300 andSin City were also successful, cementing Miller's place as a legend of comic books. However, later material such asBatman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again received mixed reviews. In particular,All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder was widely considered a sign of Miller's creative decline.[119][120][121]
Fellow comic book writerAlan Moore has described Miller's work fromSin City-onward ashomophobic andmisogynistic, despite praising his earlyBatman andDaredevil material. Moore previously penned a flattering introduction to an early collected edition ofThe Dark Knight Returns,[122] and the two have remained friends.[123] Moore has praised Miller's realistic use of minimal dialogue in fight scenes, which "move very fast, flowing from image to image with the speed of a real-life conflict, unimpeded by the reader having to stop to read a lot of accompanying text".[124]
Miller's graphic novelHoly Terror was accused of beinganti-Islamic.[125] Miller later said that he regrettedHoly Terror, saying, "I don't want to wipe out chapters of my own biography. But I'm not capable of that book again."[82]
Miller'sfilm adaptation ofSin City was well received by audiences and critics.[126] On the review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 77% based on 254 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Visually groundbreaking and terrifically violent,Sin City brings the dark world of Frank Miller's graphic novel to vivid life."[127] His2008 adaptation ofThe Spirit received generally negative reviews.[128][129]
Orion #3: "Tales of the New Gods: Nativity" (a, withWalt Simonson, 2000) collected inO: The Gates of Apokolips (tpb, 144 pages, 2001,ISBN1-56389-778-4)
— (2024).Frank Miller's Ronin Rising Manga Edition. Illustrators: Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques. Letterer: John Workman. Kana.ISBN978-1-4197-7662-5. 288 pages
^Saffel, Steve (2007). "A Not-So-Spectacular Experiment".Spider-Man the Icon: The Life and Times of a Pop Culture Phenomenon. London, United Kingdom:Titan Books. p. 73.ISBN978-1-84576-324-4.Frank Miller was the guest penciller forThe Spectacular Spider-Man #27, February 1979, written by Bill Mantlo. [The issue's] splash page was the first time Miller's [rendition of] Daredevil appeared in a Marvel story.
^Sanderson, Peter (2008). "1970s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 189.ISBN978-0-7566-4123-8.In this issue the great longtimeDaredevil artist Gene Colan was succeeded by a new penciller who became a star himself: Frank Miller.
^DeFalco, Tom "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 201: "Matt Murdock's college sweetheart first appeared in this issue [#168] by writer/artist Frank Miller."
^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 202: "Possibly modeled after Nantembo, a Zen master who reputedly disciplined his students by striking them with his nantin staff, Stick first appeared in this issue [#176] by Frank Miller."
^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 202: The Hand was a league of ninja assassins who employed dark magic...Introduced inDaredevil #174 by writer/artist Frank Miller, this group of deadly warriors had been hired by the Kingpin of Crime to exterminate Matt Murdock."
^abCordier, Philippe (April 2007). "Seeing Red: Dissecting Daredevil's Defining Years".Back Issue! (21). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:33–60.
^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 207: "Frank Miller did the unthinkable when he killed off the popular Elektra inDaredevil #181."
^Manning, Matthew K. (2014). "1980s". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).Batman: A Visual History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 136.ISBN978-1-4654-2456-3.One of the most important creators ever to work on Batman, writer/artist Frank Miller drew his first Batman story in this issue. While it featured five self-contained tales, the story 'Wanted: Santa Claus – Dead or Alive', written by Denny O'Neil and penciled by Miller was the standout.
^Manning, Matthew K. (2012). "1980s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 114.ISBN978-0-7566-9236-0.Writer Denny O'Neil and artist Frank Miller...used their considerable talents in this rare collaboration that teamed two other legends – Dr. Strange and Spider-Man.
^Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 120: "Writer Denny O'Neil teamed with artist Frank Miller to concoct a Spider-Man annual that played to both their strengths. Miller and O'Neil seemed to flourish in the gritty world of street crime so tackling a Spider/Punisher fight was a natural choice."
^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 208: "The most popular member of the X-Men was finally featured in his first solo title, a four-issue limited series by writer Chris Claremont and writer/artist Frank Miller."
^Marx, Barry, Cavalieri, Joey and Hill, Thomas (w), Petruccio, Steven (a), Marx, Barry (ed). "Frank Miller Experiment in Creative Autonomy" Fifty Who Made DC Great, p. 50 (1985). DC Comics.
^The term appears on page seven of the story "The Joker" fromBatman No. 1 (1940), which is reprinted in the bookBatman Chronicles, Volume One (2005). In the lower right panel, Batman is shown swimming in the water after having been knocked off a bridge by the Joker, and the caption reads "THE SHOCK OF COLD WATER QUICKLY REVIVES THE DARK KNIGHT!"
^Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1980s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, UK:Dorling Kindersley. p. 219.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.It is arguably the best Batman story of all time. Written and drawn by Frank Miller by Frank Miller (with inspired inking by Klaus Janson and beautiful watercolors by Lynn Varley),Batman: The Dark Knight revolutionized the entire [archetype] of the super hero.
^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 226: "'Born Again' was a seven-issue story arc that appeared inDaredevil from issue #227 to #233 (Feb.–Aug. 1986) by writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli."
^Mithra, Kuljit (1997)."Interview With Walt Simonson". ManWithoutFear.com.Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. RetrievedMarch 17, 2013.The gist of it is that by the time Marvel was interested in having us work on the story, Frank was off doingDark Knight and I was off doingX-Factor. So it never happened. Too bad—it was a cool story too.
^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 228: "Produced by Frank Miller and illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz,Elektra: Assassin was an eight-issue limited series. Because its mature content was inappropriate for children, it was published by Marvel's Epic Comics imprint."
^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 227 "Melding Miller's noir sensibilities, realistic characterization, and gritty action with Mazzucchelli's brilliant iconic imagery, "Year One" thrilled readers and critics alike...as well as being one of the influences for the 2005 filmBatman Begins.
^Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 253: "Frank Miller made his triumphant return to Elektra, the character he breathed life into and then subsequently snuffed out, with the graphic novelElektra Lives Again."
^Irving, Christopher (December 1, 2010)."Frank Miller Part 1: Dames, Dark Knights, Devils, and Heroes". NYCGraphicNovelists.com. Archived fromthe original on July 1, 2012. RetrievedNovember 25, 2011.Miller works Matt's narrating captions between the present, the past, and his dream imagery of Elektra, a fragmentation given a voiceover straight out of an old crime book, but with a heavy dose of sensitivity that never veers into the maudlin.
^Burgas, Greg (September 17, 2008)."Comics You Should Own –Hard Boiled".Comic Book Resources. Archived fromthe original on October 18, 2012. RetrievedNovember 25, 2011.[W]e can see that Miller and Darrow were creating a marvelous satire, one that pulls no punches and lets none of us off the hook, which is what the best satire does. Hard Boiled is a wild and extremely fun ride, but it's also an insightful examination of a sickness in our society that we don't like to confront.
^Lindenmuth, Brian (December 14, 2010)."The Fall (and Rise) of the Crime Comic".Mulholland Books.Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. RetrievedNovember 13, 2011.As much as100 Bullets is a cornerstone of the modern crime comic, it did not spring fully formed into the world. The modern crime comic era started a few years earlier with two releases: the high-profile Sin City by Frank Miller and the independent Stray Bullets by David Lapham.
^Manning "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 264: "Comic legends Frank Miller and John Romita, Jr. united to tell a new version of Daredevil's origin in this carefully crafted five-issue miniseries."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 267: "This prestige one-shot marked Frank Miller's return to Batman and was labeled as a companion piece to his classic 1986 workBatman: The Dark Knight Returns. The issue was drawn by Todd McFarlane, one of the most popular artists in comic book history."
^Green, Karen (December 3, 2010)."Into the Valley of Death?".ComiXology. Archived fromthe original on October 20, 2011. RetrievedNovember 25, 2011.It's like something out of Hollywood, right? Hollywood thought so, too. They made a movie in 1962 calledThe 300 Spartans, which 5-year-old Frank Miller saw in the theater, and it had a powerful influence on him.
^Manning "2000s" in Dougall, p. 258: "With this three-issue prestige format story, writer/artist Miller once again set the scene for a large scale Batman adventure."
^Manning "2000s" in Dougall, p. 282: "Together with penciller Jim Lee, Miller delivered a series that took place in a reality that began with Miller and David Mazzucchelli's 'Batman: Year One'."
^"Anarchy I".Frank Miller Ink. November 7, 2011. Archived fromthe original on November 20, 2011.'"Occupy" is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed byWoodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness.'
^"The Honest Alan Moore Interview". 2011.Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. RetrievedApril 26, 2013.[The Occupy movement] is a completely justified howl of moral outrage and it seems to be handled in a very intelligent, non-violent way, which is probably another reason why Frank Miller would be less than pleased with it. I'm sure if it had been a bunch of young, sociopathic vigilantes with Batman make-up on their faces, he'd be more in favour of it.
^Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 202: The comic was an unusual blend of the influences on Miller by French cartoonist Moebius and Japanese Manga comic books.
^Moore, Alan (2003).Alan Moore's Writing For Comics. Avatar Press.ISBN9781592910120.
^Hernandez, Michael (October 25, 2011)."Holy Terror comic is 'Islamophobic', say critics".The National. Archived fromthe original on January 14, 2013. RetrievedNovember 25, 2011.Miller's mixing of Muslims and Arabs – the book never differentiates – with terrorists highlights Holy Terror's unflattering portrayal of Muslims.
